Currently, folding portable terminals with various configurations are widely used. A typical folding portable terminal can be closed such that a display section and an operating section are hidden inside when not used and is opened and used when making phone calls or utilizing e-mail. In this case, since the display section is hidden when closed, many folding portable terminals are equipped with a sub-display section such that incoming call information or a time of day can be checked in the closed state. To use a videophone function in a folding portable terminal, many folding portable terminals are equipped with sub-cameras within case in addition to main cameras for shooting pictures or videos provided on the outside of the case. To eliminate the use of the sub-display section, some folding portable terminals are introduced which can be closed with the main display section faced outward.
However, with regard to the folding portable terminals provided with the sub-display sections, the reduction of the terminal size is prevented by the addition of the sub-display section, and costs are also increased. If the videophone function is utilized with this folding portable terminal, since a sub-camera must be provided on the inside of a case in addition to a main camera for photographing provided on the outside of the case, the reduction of the terminal size is prevented and costs are increased as well. In the case of a configuration with a main camera only, a rotation mechanism must be provided on the main camera such that the main camera faces outward or inward, and costs are increased as well. If the portable terminal is used as a television, a display screen must be made horizontal and this is unnatural for a style of watching television in the case of a normal folding portable terminal.
With regard to the folding portable terminals which can be closed with the main display section faced outward to eliminate the use of the sub-display section, since the operating section is folded inside, the portable terminal cannot be operated in the closed state. For example, a phone call cannot be made with the portable terminal closed, and the folding portable terminal must be opened to make a phone call or must be provided with a phone call button that can be operated in the closed state.
The following patent document 1 and patent document 2 disclose folding portable terminals that can be closed with both the display section and the operating section faced outward since a display section case provided with the display section can be opened 360 degrees relative to an operating section case provided with the operating section.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-171324
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-198849